Casual Hoteles has launched a pilot to test customer payments in Bitcoin. The chain operates hotels across Spain in several locations including Madrid, Valencia, Lisbon and San Sebastián. The pilot will begin at its Casual Málaga del Mar hotel under the guidance of the company’s blockchain project.
The hotel group is trying to reach out to tech savvy customers who are looking for high-end accommodations at affordable prices. By experimenting with Bitcoin, as well as Amazon Pay, it can appeal to digital nomads who are increasingly using mobile devices and digital payment rails to conduct business and make payments.
There are several options for customers who want to use Bitcoin. They can either scan a QR code made available at the hotel reception area and on the hotel’s website, or retrieve a payment code in euros through WhatsApp, which will allow them use a BitPay account to process the payment, deducting their Bitcoin and settling the transaction in euro.
The hotel says it’s focused on customer feedback and the latest technological trends so that it can appeal to modern travelers on the move.
“Casual Hoteles is committed to a relationship with its customers and other interest groups based on active listening to the market and the successive generation of added value, with the aim of anticipating their needs, exceeding their expectations and creating new formulas for tourism profitability.”
Digital nomads are a global trend segment. They’re fueling short-term stays at hotels and expanding co-living networks like Roam and Unsettled. Traditional hotels are increasingly competing with networks that allow frequent travelers to sign a single lease and then roam around the globe, sharing communal living spaces at various member locations.
According to Digital Nomadism: A Rising Trend, a 2018 research report issued by MBO Partners and Emergent Research, 4.8 million Americans say they’re living the nomadic dream of ditching an office desk and a fixed location. That number is expected to swell, as 27% of traditional workers in the US say they “might” go digital within the next two to three years so they can use their laptops to stay connected or work abroad while traveling the world.
To entice roaming workers and crypto trendsetters who are growing the digital economy, Casual Hoteles anticipates rolling out their Bitcoin pilot program to its other hotel locations.
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